‘The Conjuring 2′: Original Director James Wan Will Return For the Sequel

In news that should delight horror fans, 'The Conjuring 2' has officially secured the return of director James Wan. His involvement with the sequel was up in the air since he left horror behind to direct 'Fast and Furious 7,' but the genre that gave him his start has pulled him back in ... and we're happy to have him back.

The news comes as part of a much larger report over at Deadline, where it's revealed that Wan has signed a first-look producing deal with New Line. That means that his Atomic Monster production company will "...develop and produce modest budget films in the science fiction, horror, and comedy genres," which is a deal that seems like it'll work out for everybody. Wan is a super-hot talent right now and New Line could use someone with his track record to start cranking out hits. Heck, the biggest winner here may be genre fans, who always seem to be pleased by whatever Wan is working on.

Most of the statements from the people quoted in the original article are fairly boilerplate stuff, but Wan does mention his eagerness to return to the horror genre:

It was during the editing of Fast & Furious 7 that my brain started sparking ideas for The Conjuring sequel. Taking a break from horror has allowed me to be creatively rejuvenated. I’m excited to tell the story of the next case-file of Ed & Lorraine Warren and expand on this world we’ve created.

That's great news for a couple of reasons. First, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's Ed and Lorraine Warren are tremendous characters who deserve an entire series of movies, so we're as eager as anyone to see their next "case-file." More importantly, Wan sounds ready to return to this world with full-force. After 'Saw,' 'Dead Silence,' both 'Insidious' films and 'The Conjuring,' it's easy to imagine any director being burnt out on the genre. The fact that he's excited again is a great sign.

'The Conjuring 2' was recently pushed from its October 23, 2015 release date (which is now an obvious move to secure Wan's involvement), but it will arrive something in 2016.